Snape the Dog
by Sivol
Summary: Severus Snape has been forced to find Harry Potter 7 years after the downfall of Voldemort, who disappeared the day after the final battle. Warnings inside.


**Warnings: **Creature!fic (Snape is a Dog animagus.) Slash HP/SS, D/s themes near the end  
><strong>Type: <strong>One-Shot  
><strong>Status: <strong>Complete  
><strong>Sequal:<strong> No

* * *

><p>A loud bark drew Harry from his musings that day as he was walking home from work. "Hey there fella, where did you come from?" Harry asked the medium sized dog. "You sure have a loud bark." He said, reaching out a hand for the dog to sniff.<p>

_You__** would**__ decide to make friendly with a strange dog you've never met before, Potter._ Severus thought. _Not even a consideration that it may perhaps be the animagus of someone who could kill you if they so choose._ The dog barked again, staring at the young man.

"Well you don't look mean, you don't have a collar, but you sure do look like you're taken care of, so I guess you belong to someone around here." Harry stated.

_I belong to no one, Potter, none would have me. _The dog growled.

Harry stared at the dog, then tilted his head. "I wonder if I should take you and show you around town saying you've been found." Another bark. "I'm sure your family misses you, such a handsome dog."

Severus scoffed inwardly at himself. _If you only new who you were speaking to you fool boy._

"Well come on then, let's go around and ask some of the people if they know where you're supposed to be." Harry said, patting his leg.

Severus shook his head in slight amusement, but followed anyway. Why not allow himself the chance to see what the young man was like now? After all, Potter hadn't been seen or heard from in the wizarding world for nearly 7 years now. The day after the final battle, Harry had up and disappeared, leaving everyone behind. Three years ago, when the Order of the Phoenix had disbanded, Molly, Ron, and Hermione had begged Severus to find Harry.

What he hadn't counted on, was Molly wrapping him in to an unbreakable vow that stated he would not stop looking for the boy until he found him, and at least got an explanation out of him, even if he had to resort to his spying ways to do so.

He would have done it willingly had she simply asked instead of trying to trick him. Not that he would ever admit, or even think about that. It was something that hurt to think about, so he simply buried those feelings deep inside of him for years and managed to convince himself that they'd never existed.

He'd finally stopped teaching those simpering brats, so he could run his own apothecary... which failed miserably thanks to his ex-death eater status, but that's what gave him the time to do this. That's what led him here today. After three long years of searching, he'd finally found the annoying brat, thanks to pure luck.

He had been shopping in a pet store near the hotel he was staying in, glancing at a few of the chewing bones for his animagus form, when he noticed a mop of unruly black hair walking past the window. He'd quickly went from the store, shifted into a, for lack of a better term, mutt, and followed the young man for nearly 7 blocks. Thanks to a cat running by, his animal instincts forced a bark from his throat which caught the brat's attention. Now, here he was, being walking slightly behind the young man from door to door, watching as person after person stated they had never seen him before.

After around 30 houses, it was getting dark, and Harry sighed. "Well, I can't just leave you out here, what if someone runs you over?" He stated.

_Nonsense, I can take care of myself. _The dog snorted.

"Alright, it's settled then, you're coming with me. We'll get back to searching for your family tomorrow, since I don't work then." Harry said, patting his leg. He then stopped his motions and shook his head. "Merlin, I must be going mad. I'm explaining my reasonings to a dog."

_Finally he admits his insanity._ The dog made no move to follow him. Severus had wanted nothing more than to go back to his hotel room, and get his things. His stay in the mediocre hotel would be up in three days time, and he had no wish to lose his things thanks to this brat trying to play hero to a stranded mutt.

"Come on then, I have some nice yummy steak at home, I'm sure you'd love that." Harry said, trying to coax the dog to go with him.

_Steak? I haven't had a decent steak in ages. _The dog's eye made a strange movement that almost resembled the raising of an eyebrow, and Harry laughed aloud. The dog then gave Harry a strange look and tilted it's head just a bit. _What do you find so amusing Potter?_

"Sorry, you just reminded me of someone I used to know..." Harry said, trailing off at the end. "Come on then, food and shelter is this way." He patted his leg again and the dog followed, almost reluctantly.

* * *

><p>As Harry was cooking dinner that night, the dog was staring at him intently. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being scrutinized. Suddenly, the dog barked, and when Harry turned to glance at him, he licked his lips and barked again.<p>

Turning back to the stove, he flipped the steak, then glanced back at the dog who was panting a bit and wagging his tail. "You know, if I didn't know we were in muggle territory, I would swear that you were someone's animagus." Harry stated. "You seem far too intelligent to simply be a dog. Perhaps your master trained you well."

_Ahh, so you do use that thing you call a brain. And I've not got a master. _Severus thought to himself.

After a few minutes of silence, Harry took the steak from the pan and cut it in half. "It's too hot to eat right now, I'm going to let it cool." He said, placing half of the steak on a plate, and cutting up the other half into bite-sized pieces.

Once the meal had cooled, Harry moved to put the shallow bowl with the cut up steak on to the floor, but the dog had jumped up on to the a chair at the small table. "Oh come on now, do you expect me to feed you at the table?"

The dog let out a bark, huffed a bit, and put his paw on the edge of the table.

"Yes, woof." Harry said, placing the bowl on the table in front of the dog, who happily dug in. "I must be past the point of _barking _mad." He smirked at himself, but immediately wiped the grin from his face when he noticed the dog staring at him.

_That was not funny. _Severus thought. The dog simply lowered his snout in what looked like an attempt at glaring.

"Yeah, that was a pretty bad pun, wasn't it?" Harry said. "But it's true none-the-less. I mean, who else is so lonely that they spend their days speaking to animals as if they were human? Well, besides Mrs. Figg... And me when I'm talking to a snake, but at least they can talk back!"

The dog stayed in that position for a minute, before Harry rose his hands in resignation. "Right, shutting up now." Returning to his bowl, Severus couldn't help but be amused. When he'd finished eating, he decided it was time to go back to the hotel, so he went to the door and scratched, whining a bit.

"Oh right... you need out." Harry stated. "Hold on a second." He vanished off to his room, and came back carrying his wand. "Haven't used this thing in over a year." He commented. Pointing the wand near the now wide-eyed dog, he muttered something, and a black leather collar complete with spikes and a black leash appeared on the floor. "Well that's odd. I was trying for something a bit more plain, but oh well." He said, tossing his wand on a nearby table.

Harry bent down, grabbed the collar, and faced the dog, whose eyes were now narrowed towards him. "Oh don't give me that look. What would happen if I just let you out to do your business, then you ran off somewhere?"

_That's exactly what I intend on doing, you imbecile. _Severus thought. _You will not be putting a collar on me._

Harry tried to reach to the dog's neck, but he was too quick and ducked underneath Harry's hand. "Come on, it's just a collar... and a leash." The dog growled. "It's either this, or I cast a charm on you to keep you within 5 meters of me." The dog lowered it's head in resignation.

_At least I could escape from your grip with a damn leash. _Severus thought, defeated. As it was, in his animagus form, he would stand no chance at escape from a charm like that. It was the biggest drawback of the whole process.

Harry smiled a bit, and slipped the collar around the dog's neck, then the attached the leash and started outside. After nearly 10 minutes of walking around, Severus was just about ready to bolt, then Harry said something which startled him into stopping all movement completely. "Snape."

_Shit... shit fuck bloody hell, he knows._ Severus thought.

"I think I shall call you Snape." Harry went on. "Just for until we find your family anyway. You remind me a lot of him." The dog became quite a bit less tense, then slowly started walking beside the young man again, forgetting for the moment that he was supposed to be trying to escape. "I would call you Severus, but I don't think he would appreciate me using his first name in any context without express permission."

_You're damn right. But why in Merlin's name would you want to name something after me?_ Severus thought. The dog barked with a questioning look.

"What? You don't like the name? It's a good name, he's a good man." Harry said, looking at the dog.

Suddenly Severus' body informed him that he did, in fact, have to use the bathroom. At least Harry had the decency to turn away as the dog made his way behind a bush. Emerging about a minute later, the dog, now known as Snape to Harry, followed by the young man and they went back to his small house. Only when the door shut behind him, and his collar and leash were removed, did Severus realize that he had forgotten to try and escape.

Huffing in irritation, then whining in resignation, Severus curled up in front of the chair that sat in the living room, deciding to wait until Harry fell asleep to transform back and get the hell out of that house. "Come on Snape." Harry said, patting his leg. "It's warmer in my room and you can sleep on my bed."

Severus looked at him questioningly. _You allow a dog to sleep on your bed, Potter? _

"Come on then." Harry said, crouching down and holding his hand out. "We have to get up early to go family searching tomorrow."

The dog snorted and lay his head on his front paws, closing his eyes and refusing to move. He yelped a bit when he felt hands wrap around him and carry him into another room, squirming and wiggling trying to get loose. "I'll not have you sleeping on the cold ground out there, when the only warm room in the house is my room." Harry said, plopping the dog down on to his bed. "Now be a good boy, and stay."

At first, Severus sat there on the bed, looking quite torn, then he became angry. _How dare you! I was quite fine pretending to sleep out there until you fell asleep so I could sneak out, but no you had to manhandle me and force me into your room. Ohhh Potter, when I get back into my human form, I am going to hex you into oblivion! _Severus thought, then barked and jumped from the bed, scratching at the door.

"Oh shush you. It's much warmer in here, you'll see." Harry stated. He quickly shed his clothing down to his smalls and slipped on a pair of cotton pajamas. Sliding in between the covers, he patted the bed beside him. "Come on then, I don't bite."

_No, but I certainly do. At least in this form.  
><em>

"Alright fine, be that way. When you wake up shivering thanks to the cold floor, it'll only be your fault."

* * *

><p>Once Severus was sure that Harry was asleep, he crept to the bathroom door that had been left ajar slightly, then attempted to shift back into his human self. Keyword there being, 'attempted'. He found that no matter how many times he tried, he simply couldn't. <em>This can't be one of the negative effects Minerva warned me about, could it? After all, I've never spent more than two hours in this form before, and she did say staying too long could have adverse effects. Shit... <em>Severus frantically started trying every other method he could think of to transform back, but they all led to the same result - nothing.

After nearly an hour of constant attempts, with nothing to show for it, Severus huffed and wandered back to the bedroom. _May as well use the bed. No clue how long I'm going to be like this._ He jumped up on to the soft bedding and snuggled into a pillow.

Harry awoke when he felt the bed shift, and rolled over to look at the dog. "I see you finally took my advice. Floor got too cold for you?" He asked, reaching out a hand and petting the dog on the head lightly.

_I can withstand much more than the cold of that floor you nitwit. I seem to be stuck like this... Why are you petting me?_ Severus thought.

"I almost hope we don't find your family tomorrow." Harry admitted, still stroking the dog's fur. "It would be nice to have a friend in this world."

Snape raised his head slightly and looked at the young man. Harry just chuckled. "I've not got any friends here. It's not often you can relate to someone when you've used, been used, murdered several people, even if one of them was an insane evil bastard, been attacked countless times, and were forced to grow up long before you were ready. I've nothing in common with these people, but I've less in common with the loons who throw themselves at me in the wizarding world. No one wants me there, they simply want the boy-who-lived. At least here, I can pretend to be normal."

Harry turned over on to his back and sighed. "Lots of people died 7 years ago. Several of them were very close to me, and most of those who died never deserved it. Like Fred, Remus, Tonks, and Snape. They were all good people. Tonks wasn't even supposed to be there that day. Snape died because Voldemort was daft about the Elder Wand. Well, sometimes I hope that Snape's still alive. I'd had a dream that night that he wasn't dead, and the last thing I said to any witch or wizard before I left involved him, I told Hermione to go check on Snape to see if he was still alive because in my dream he'd woken up confused and alone with great blood loss. Ah well, memories of the past and whatnot. Goodnight Snape." Harry ended in a whisper.

Severus, against his better judgment, lay his head on the young man's bicep, wondering why the other wizard seemed to care about him, and fell asleep to the soft petting on his back.

* * *

><p>Severus awoke the next morning to something shaking his body. He reached out for his wand as an automatic response, only to realize he was still in dog form. Remembering what had happened last night, he barked at the intruding hand. "Come on Snape, we need to go family searching."<p>

The dog barked again, and lay his head down on the pillow. "Oh come , we've only got about 30 more houses. It's a small town." Harry coaxed. "I'll cook you another steak for breakfast." He said.

The mention of steak got Severus up, and the dog trotted to the kitchen, jumped up into a chair, and waited patiently for his food to be served to him at the table. Harry just shook his head, smirking, and fixed breakfast for the both of them.

About 30 minutes later, they were out the door, Severus by leash and Harry leading the way. _I have got to get out of here._ Severus thought. _If I don't get back to my hotel soon, I will lose my belongings. But then, I can't change back to myself, so how would I get them? _

At house number 28, Harry and Severus noticed a man walking down the street, a man who looked an awful lot like one Lucius Malfoy, only much more rugged and run down. Severus fought to get loose upon seeing the man, trying to be as silent as possible, and wound up dragging Harry behind a few bushes. When Harry didn't seem to get the hint, he bit down lightly on the young man's arm, and pulled his body down.

"What in the world?" Harry asked.

_Shut up you fool! _The dog growled lowly to serve as a warning.

"What is wrong with you?" Harry demanded.

The dog then pushed the boy to the ground and lay across his face and neck, leaving just enough room for his nose to stick out so he could breath. When the blond man had been out of sight for a good 20 minutes, Severus moved to let Harry up.

"Were you worried about that man walking across the street? I suppose he gave off bad vibes. Then again, anyone who looks like Malfoy certainly would give off bad vibes." Harry stated.

_Especially since it WAS Malfoy you incompetent brat! If there's one thing dogs are good for, it's a great sense of smell._ The dog growled a bit.

"Well, I suppose it's good that my house is warded then. If he did happen to be related to the Malfoys, he couldn't get in anyways. No witch or wizard aside from myself can do magic within 20 meters of my home." He beamed.

_So THAT'S why I couldn't change! _Severus thought, triumphantly. As the young man made his way to house number 29, Severus broke free and ran off, far too fast for Harry to catch without resorting to magic.

After shifting back into his human form, and stretching quite a bit, the stoic man made his way to the hotel and withdrew his personal items from his room, shrinking them down into his pocket. He checked out early, and found himself in a restaurant, eating the best meal he'd had in ages.

"Time to find out why the brat left." He mumbled, then shifted back into his animagus form.

Harry was cooking lunch as he heard a scratching against the front door. Slightly confused, he went and opened it, astounded to see Snape the dog come trotting in as if nothing had happened. "You came back!" Harry nearly screamed, bending down and hugging the dog. "I thought for sure you'd ran away. Where did you go? Oh, it's not like you will answer me. I'm glad you're back." He said, scratching the dog behind the ear. "Well, the last two houses after you left both said they weren't missing a dog, nor did they know anyone else who did, so I guess that means you're staying with me. And you wont be pulling stunts like that again mister, you scared me out of my wits!" He shook his finger at the dog, who simply mimicked the eye-brow raising movement he'd done the day before. "Don't run from me again Snape, I've grown attached."

* * *

><p>Two more weeks had passed and Severus had listened to the young man talk on and on and on. He understood that sometimes it felt good to have a listening ear, even if it wouldn't talk back, as he'd done the same to his pet hamster a few years back after the war had just ended.<p>

He'd found out that Harry had left the wizarding world because he feared the masses of people wouldn't leave him alone, although that was only 50% of the equation. He'd also found out that the other half of his reasoning was that holding Severus in his arms while he appeared to be dying was the young man's undoing, and sent him into a depression.

Apparently, not only did Harry respect Severus, but he'd also thought of him as someone he could trust no matter what, who would never lie to him, and who would always be there to save him should he need it. This statement caused the dog to lower it's head in shame, as staying there in animagus form was indeed lying to the young man in a way.

What astounded him the most was what Harry said next. "I think I love him." Severus looked intently at the young man, as if searching for the truth. "I think that during those last 2 years leading up to the final battle that I was really in love with him, and that's why we fought so much. I didn't know it was love, I thought it was still loathing. I still feel that way."

_God Harry, you've no idea how hard it is for me to stay like this and hear you say that. Over these last two weeks, you've shown nothing but respect for me, the real me. I wish I could tell you without breaking your trust that it's been me all along. I wish I could tell you that I feel many of the same things. I wish-_ He was cut off by Harry continuing.

"You know," Harry started, "I think human Snape would be quite proud of me right now, after he got over being angry with me that is."

Severus cocked his head to the side. _What on earth are you on about now? I'm already quite proud of you._

"If he knew just how proficient at magic I've become, he would be proud. Why, I barely need a wand anymore, unless it's a spell I've not done before." Harry said, lounging on the couch glancing to Snape the dog. "In fact, while I may have failed in Occlumency, I succeeded in Legilimency, so much so that I no longer need to maintain eye contact to enter into someone's mind."

_I'm amazed Potter... Even I can't do that. Perhaps I underestimated your potential._

Harry smiled. "Did you know, that when you reach the point of being able to enter into someone's mind without maintaining eye contact, you can also enter into their mind undetected?"

_I had assumed as much from the reading I've done. _Severus thought, also wondering where the young man was going with this.

"I've wanted to tell Snape for so long how I've felt about him. That I cared. Even that I loved him, even though I thought he could never return it." Harry stated.

_I know now. I fell in love with you at the final battle you brat, you've invaded my dreams for years. You have no clue how painful it was to know you'd disappeared, so I finally convinced myself that those feelings never existed. Merlin when I go and inform Molly of your reasoning for leaving so I can get this damnable unbreakable vow off of my case, I'm coming back in human form and I'll try to explain to the best of my ability._

Harry smiled brighter. "Did you also know, that a person's animagus form's mind is much more easily invaded than a normal witch or wizard?" He asked, glancing at the dog. "That a person in animagus form can only hide the thoughts they'd shielded when last in their human form, but the thoughts they think in animal form run free."

Severus shifted uncomfortably, hoping, dreading that the young man wasn't implying what he thought he was implying. "Yes, I think human Snape would be quite proud... After some time anyways."

Closing his eyes, the dog huffed. He decided to test it. _Harry James Potter, you are to key me into these wards right this second so I may shift back to my human form and give you a proper thrashing!_

Harry laughed aloud. "It was quite Slytherin, wasn't it? You've been keyed into the wards for a week now Snape, you should have realized that when we came back from our walk and you felt the change in magic that you sniffed around the house all day to search out."

Severus attempted to transform again, this time succeeding and winding up standing on the chair in the middle of the room. Climbing down, and sitting in a quite dignified manner attempting to collect himself before he did bodily harm to the young man smirking at him from the couch, he asked, "If you knew it was me all along, why then, Potter, would you spend so long searching for a family that had lost a dog?"

"To annoy you." He stated, still lounging. "To be honest, I had thought you would have figured it out when I slipped and called you Snape that first night. You suspected it, but I thought my excuse of naming you was quite flimsy."

"In retrospect, it was."

"And I would have assumed you to suspect it again," Harry went on as if nothing had been said, "when I had told you about the wards that inhibited your shifting under the guise of keeping myself safe of Malfoy. And again, when I confessed that I'd become attached later that day. And many more times throughout your stay here."

Severus growled a bit. "I had assumed that you simply talked to all animals in such a way, applying humanistic traits to them and having one-sided conversations."

"Yes, I tend to do that, but you, like a snake, always replied." Harry sat up and leaned back against the couch.

"So you simply manipulated me into spilling my secrets and desires in animagus form to what, humiliate me?"

Harry looked a bit hurt at that. "Not at all. If anything, it was humiliating for me, I'd confessed to you nearly everything about myself. I meant every word I said Snape. I do love you. I have for years, and before you'd popped back into my life, I was tore up inside thinking I would never see you again." He lowered his head. "I'd not intentionally humiliate you. I apologize if you feel that was my intention."

"Why did you not simply inform me from the beginning that you knew it was me?" Severus was more curious than angry now.

"Because you had obviously taken lengths to hide yourself from me, and I wanted to know why you searched for me, and if it would be to my benefit."

"Foolish man." Severus said without a hint of malice.

"Dungeon bat." Harry retorted, grinning a bit. Severus was about to say something, but Harry cut him off. "I know, no longer a dungeon dweller, stopped teaching the brats and all that. Old habits die hard Snape."

"Severus."

"What?" Harry asked, looking at the man.

"My name is Severus, Harry." The normally stoic man said to him, then sighed. "I need to inform Molly of your reasoning for leaving, otherwise this vow will kill me. I will be back tonight, if I'm still keyed into the wards."

Harry, in a flash, was hugging Severus. "I think that now, since I have you back with no intention of letting you go, and it's been so long since Voldemort's downfall, that I may return to the wizarding world. I've still got two vaults in Gringotts, and I can rent a flat somewhere."

"Make sure they allow dogs." Severus told him before tilting the younger wizard's head back and pressing their lips together in a tender kiss.

"Mmm they might not let a dog stay without a collar and leash, and I know how much you hate those." Harry mumbled against the older man's lips in a silent hint of his own personal preference.

"A good dog will only wear a collar for it's Master." Severus informed him.

Harry's eyes lit up. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes." Severus whispered.

Harry smiled, silently transfiguring the collar, which was on the table near the chair, into a simple chain necklace, then clasping it onto Severus' neck. Harry then kissed the man fiercely. "We'll sort out the details later." He said, grabbing his wand. "Let's go get you out of that vow."


End file.
